Addressing and unravelling the emerging HPWS research problems

High-performance work system’s (HPWS) configuration is fraught with inconsistencies, and there are vague processes (black box) in-between the inputs (HPWS) and the output (performance). In addressing these issues, this research proposed that configuration of HPWS is many-sided, and it can be context-specific.Also, this study proposed a conceptual model which indicates that HPWS and performance are related via mediating mechanism(s) which will unpack the so-called “black box” in HRM research field. Using far-reaching literature survey, this paper presented a logic-based and empirically-based conceptual discussion to address and disentangle the identified HPWS research problems.The findings of this research stressed that configurations of HPWS are many-sided involving universalist approach, contingency approach, configuration approach, theory building process, etc.There are different ways of bundling up the HPWPs to achieve organizational outcomes. Using a blend of some approaches, this paper proposed a synergistic configuration of HPWS architectures for SMEs.It is hoped that the study will help in showing the stakeholders the process of enhancing SMEs’ performance via employee-oriented high-performance work system. However, the proposed model can be empirically solidified further via collection and analysis of relevant data

Input current control of boost converters using current-mode controller integrated with linear quadratic regulator

The application of power electronic converter in the renewable energy systems significantly increases their efficiencies by maintaining the operation of these systems at the optimal operating points, therefore, absorbing the maximum available power from the renewable sources all the time. In this paper, the small-signal models of the open-loop, current-mode controlled boost converter are derived. In addition, both the Current Mode Control (CMC) and the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) methods are combined to design a controller that forces the input current of the converter to follow accurately a reference current, which could be generated using maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms. The controller performance is tested under transient conditions and with disturbance signals using MATLAB/Simulink simulation package. The simulation results indicate that both a good response and disturbance rejection are achieved in tested conditions

Stress-Strain Response Modelling of Glass Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composite Pipes under Multiaxial Loadings

This paper presents the modelling of the stress strain response of glass fiber reinforced epoxy (GRE) composite pipes subjected to multiaxial loadings at room temperature (RT). This particular modeling work was developed to predict the non-linear stress strain response caused by the fatigue cyclic and static loading in the multiaxial ultimate elastic wall stress (UEWS) tests by considering the effects of matrix cracking within the laminates. The UEWS test, whilst not yet standardized, appears to offer an attractive alternative to existing procedures of qualifying GRE pipes. The ply properties initially expressed as a function of crack density were computed as a function of increasing stress and strain using shear lag approximation. The results show that the model developed from the classical laminate theory which takes into account whether the effects of transverse matrix micro-cracks on stiffness and strains is capable of predicting the resulted elastic properties. The predictions are found to be in good agreement with the data from multiaxial UEWS tests on ±55° filament wound glass-reinforced epoxy pipes

Ergogenic, anti-diabetic and antioxidant attributes of selected Malaysian herbs: characterisation of flavonoids and correlation of functional activities

In the present work, aqueous ethanolic (60% ethanol) extracts from selected Malaysian herbs including Murraya koenigii L. Spreng, Lawsonia inermis L., Cosmos caudatus Kunth, Piper betle L., and P. sarmentosum Roxb. were evaluated for their ergogenic, anti-diabetic and antioxidant potentials. Results showed that the analysed herbs had ergogenic property and were able to activate 5'AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in a concentration dependant manner. The highest AMPK activation was exhibited by M. koenigii extract which showed no significant (p > 0.05) difference with green tea (positive control). For anti-diabetic potential, the highest α-glucosidase inhibition was exhibited by M. koenigii extract with IC50 of 43.35 ± 7.5 μg/mL, which was higher than acarbose (positive control). The determinations of free radical scavenging activity and total phenolics content (TPC) indicated that the analysed herbs had good antioxidant activity. However, C. caudatus extract showed superior antioxidant activity with IC50 against free radical and TPC of 21.12 ± 3.20 μg/mL and 221.61 ± 7.49 mg GAE/g, respectively. RP-HPLC analysis established the presence of flavonoids in the herbs wherein L. inermis contained the highest flavonoid (catechin, epicatechin, naringin and rutin) content (668.87 mg/kg of extract). Correlations between the analyses were conducted, and revealed incoherent trends. Overall, M. koenigii was noted to be the most potent herb for enhancement of AMPK activity and α-glucosidase inhibition but exhibited moderate antioxidant activity. These results revealed that the selected herbs could be potential sources of natural ergogenic and anti-diabetic/antioxidant agents due to their rich profile of phenolics. Further analysis in vivo should be carried out to further elucidate the mechanism of actions of these herbs as ergogenic aids and anti-diabetic/antioxidant agents

Targeted delivery of bromelain using dual mode nanoparticles: Synthesis, physicochemical characterization,: In vitro and in vivo evaluation

The engineering, characterization, and application of dual-functional delivery vehicle "SPIONs-Br-FA" are reported. In this study, a citrate-coated SPIONs (superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles) drug-delivery vehicle was conjugated with Br (bromelain), a phytotherapeutic anticancer agent, and finally immobilized with FA (folic acid), as a targeting moiety to the FAR+, folate receptor positive, cancer cells. Then, in vitro compatibility tests were performed to confirm the biocompatibility of the engineered system. A cytotoxicity study was carried out, which showed a significant dose advantage with SPIONs-Br-FA in reducing the IC50 values of FAR+ cancer cells compared with neat Br. Through morphological alternation studies, it was disclosed that the SPIONs-Br-FA-treated cells had undergone apoptosis, since shrinkage as well as apoptotic bodies were obviously observed. We demonstrated that SPIONs-Br-FA was a good candidate to suppress the migration of the FAR+ cancer cells as well as to inhibit colony formation of the FAR+ cancer cells compared to SPIONs-Br. We found that the apoptosis percentage was sharply increased in the FAR+ cancer cells treated by SPIONs-Br-FA compared to those treated by neat Br. Moreover, the qualitative and quantitative biodistribution study performed on the vital organs and tumor indicated a significant tumor targetability of the SPIONs-FA. Next, we demonstrated the administration of SPIONs-Br-FA through the tail vein could reduce the tumor burden in 4T1-bearing mice and also increased their lifespan when compared with SPIONs-Br and neat Br at the same concentration of bromelain. In conclusion, the results indicated that the synthesized SPIONs-Br-FA is a promising tool in the field of biomedicine, particularly in cancer therapy

Safety of dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) in Asia: a systematic review

The use of the vaccine in Asia is still very much limited and remained controversial due to its safety, which has yet been properly assessed and evaluated. Hence, the objective of this review is to assess the safety of the CYD-TDV dengue vaccine of the efficacy trials conducted in Asia. A total of 309 related articles were generated from the electronic database search using relevant keywords and only four of the articles were selected for the final review process. The seroprevalence at baseline of the participants involved in the studies was between 50 percent and 80 percent. In terms of the safety of the CYD-TDV vaccine, injection site reaction (pain, swelling, erythema) recorded a relative risk (RR) at 95% CI of (0.46—1.76) and systemic reactions (fever, headache, myalgia) also with RR at 95% CI of (0.89—1.81) were detected among the participants. Among the four studies reviewed, three studies reported some severe adverse effect experienced by the participants with RR at 95% CI of (0.92—2.11). In terms of the immunogenicity, high GMT values were reported for DENV-2 at 67.8 (95%CI of 64.8-70.8), DENV-3 at 73.1 (95% CI of 69.9-76.3) and DENV-4 at 65 (95%CI of 62-67.9) where even though lower values were reported it is consistent with other published studies on the immunogenicity of the CYD-TDV against the DENV serotypes. This review showed that the CYD-TDV can be considered for use in Asia, but with several conditions and following current safety recommendations

Proapoptotic and antimetastatic properties of supercritical CO2 extract of Nigella sativa Linn. Against breast cancer cells

Nigella sativa, commonly referred as black cumin, is a popular spice that has been used since the ancient Egyptians. It has traditionally been used for treatment of various human ailments ranging from fever to intestinal disturbances to cancer. This study investigated the apoptotic, antimetastatic, and anticancer activities of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO) extracts of the seeds of N. sativa Linn. against estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Twelve extracts were prepared from N. sativa seeds using the SC-CO extraction method by varying pressure and temperature. Extracts were analyzed using FTIR and UV-Vis spectrometry. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated on various human cancer and normal cell lines. Of the 12 extracts, 1 extract (A3) that was prepared at 60 C and 2500 psi (∼17.24 MPa) showed selective antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC of 53.34±2.15 μg/mL. Induction of apoptosis was confirmed by evaluating caspases activities and observing the cells under a scanning electron microscope. In vitro antimetastatic properties of A3 were investigated by colony formation, cell migration, and cell invasion assays. The elevated levels of caspases in A3 treated MCF-7 cells suggest that A3 is proapoptotic. Further nuclear condensation and fragmentation studies confirmed that A3 induces cytotoxicity through the apoptosis pathway. A3 also demonstrated remarkable inhibition in migration and invasion assays of MCF-7 cells at subcytotoxic concentrations. Thus, this study highlights the therapeutic potentials of SC-CO extract of N. sativa in targeting breast cancer

FPGA technology in process tomography

The aims of this paper are to provide a review of the process tomography applications employing field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) and to understand current FPGA related researches, in order to seek for the possibility to applied FPGA technology in an ultrasonic process tomography system. FPGA allows users to implement complete systems on a programmable chip, meanwhile, five main benefits of applying the FPGA technology are performance, time to market, cost, reliability, and long-term maintenance. These advantages definitely could help in the revolution of process tomography, especially for ultrasonic process tomography and electrical process tomography. Future work is focused on the ultrasonic process tomography for chemical process column investigation using FPGA for the aspects of low cost, high speed and reconstructed image quality

MARS spectral molecular imaging of lamb tissue: data collection and image analysis

Spectral molecular imaging is a new imaging technique able to discriminate and quantify different components of tissue simultaneously at high spatial and high energy resolution. Our MARS scanner is an x-ray based small animal CT system designed to be used in the diagnostic energy range (20 to 140 keV). In this paper, we demonstrate the use of the MARS scanner, equipped with the Medipix3RX spectroscopic photon-processing detector, to discriminate fat, calcium, and water in tissue. We present data collected from a sample of lamb meat including bone as an illustrative example of human tissue imaging. The data is analyzed using our 3D Algebraic Reconstruction Algorithm (MARS-ART) and by material decomposition based on a constrained linear least squares algorithm. The results presented here clearly show the quantification of lipid-like, water-like and bone-like components of tissue. However, it is also clear to us that better algorithms could extract more information of clinical interest from our data. Because we are one of the first to present data from multi-energy photon-processing small animal CT systems, we make the raw, partial and fully processed data available with the intention that others can analyze it using their familiar routines. The raw, partially processed and fully processed data of lamb tissue along with the phantom calibration data can be found at [http://hdl.handle.net/10092/8531].Comment: 11 pages, 6 fig

A Survival Analysis of Islamic and Conventional Banks

Are Islamic banks inherently more stable than conventional banks? We address this question by applying a survival analysis based on the Cox proportional hazard model to a comprehensive sample of 421 banks in 20 Middle and Far Eastern countries from 1995 to 2010. By comparing the failure risk for both bank types, we find that Islamic banks have a significantly lower risk of failure than that of their conventional peers. This lower risk is based both unconditionally and conditionally on bank-specific (microeconomic) variables as well as macroeconomic and market structure variables. Our findings indicate that the design and implementation of early warning systems for bank failure should recognize the distinct risk profiles of the two bank types